Bonds rise on sentiment
Treasury prices gain after softer-than-expected consumer sentiment report; greenback mixed on rate outlook.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Treasury prices rose Friday after a softer-than-expected consumer sentiment survey offset strong core producer prices. The dollar was mixed against the euro and the yen.
The benchmark 10-year note rose 5/32 to 99-15/32, yielding 4.56 percent, down from 4.59 percent Thursday. The 30-year bond gained 31/32 to 99-28/32, yielding 4.50 percent, down from 4.57 percent the previous session. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions. The two-year added one tick, yielding 4.67 percent, and the five-year note was down 2/32 to yield 4.59 percent. The bond market got a boost midway through the session after the University of Michigan reported that consumer sentiment dropped to 87.4 in mid-February from 91.2 at the end of January. Analysts mostly shrugged off the decline in consumer sentiment for February, pointing to the jump in January retail sales as a sign that Americans were still bullish about the economy. Producer prices increased a sharper-than-expected 0.3 percent in January, according to the government's reading on inflation at the wholesale level. The rise in core prices of 0.4 percent was double expectations. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testified before congressional committees this week that he's concerned the economy is showing such strong growth that there's a risk of inflation and likely will be a need for future hikes in interest rates. "The Fed will continue to raise interest rates," Kathleen Stephansen, director of global economics at Credit Suisse, told Reuters. "We think they will do so twice more." Looking at currency markets, the euro bought $1.1932, up from $1.1903 in the previous session. The dollar bought ¥118.18, up from ¥117.62 late Thursday. _____________ Click here for updated bond charts. |
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